Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Ca Mau (VNA) – The southernmost province of Ca Mauis tightening control of local fishing vessels operating at sea in line with nationalefforts to fight illegal, unreported and uncontrolled (IUU) fishing.
Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen TienHai said along with bolstering educational campaigns for fishermen on relevantlaws and regulations, authorised agencies have applied strict sanctions againstowners of fishing ships violating foreign waters.
He said local agencies are working to ensure that every workerin the fishing industry from fisherman to small trader, every local officialand organisations involved in fisheries know about the EC’s yellow card warningVietnam about IUU.
Fishing vessel owners will have their operating licencewithdrawn and will be refused new licence if any of their vessels is found tobe arrested overseas or detected to have violated foreign waters though thesatellite-based monitoring system.
The chairman has instructed relevant agencies and localadministrations to remove Movimarsatellite geo-positioning devices from fishing ships under 24m in length totransfer to vessels of 24m and longer.
He stressed that authorized agencies will take strong measures against fishingships and individuals who fail to turn on Movimar devices around the clock whengoing fishing offshore.
Ca Mau will promptly upgrade theGPS-integrated VX-1700 satellite communication machines which have beeninstalled on ships and port management units to ensure automatic reports onship arrivals.
On October 23, 2017, the EC issued a “yellow card” warning to Vietnam,after the country failed to demonstrate sufficient progress in the fight againstIUU fishing.
A working delegation from the EC’s General Directorate for MaritimeAffairs and Fisheries visited Vietnam from May 16-24 to inspect the country’simplementation of the EC’s nine recommendations related to the fight againstIUU fishing.
The nine recommendations includedrevisions to the legal framework to ensure compliance with international andregional rules, applicable to the conservation and management of fisheriesresources; ensuring the effective implementation and enforcement of thecountry’s revised laws; and strengthening the effective implementation ofinternational rules and management measures.
The EC’s delegation said the Vietnamese localities’ efforts against theIUU fishing remained particularly weak in some specific areas.
The EC inspectors will return toVietnam in January 2019 to review the country’s progress in addressing its“yellow card” warning.-VNA
